Goodyear approves three high-density projects: 134K mini storage, McDonald's drive-through, QuikTrip despite resident opposition
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA — June 15, 2023

Goodyear approves three high-density projects: 134K mini storage, McDonald's drive-through, QuikTrip despite resident opposition

Planning Commission approved three convenience/storage developments with significant resident opposition citing fire/hazard risks, noise/light pollution, traffic, and crime concerns, notably approving Goodyear's closest drive-through to residential homes.

Goodyear Commission Approves Trio of Convenience Developments—Including Closest Drive-Through to Homes in City History—Despite Strong Resident Opposition Over Fire, Crime, and Transparency

On June 15, 2023, the Goodyear Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved three convenience and storage developments within and immediately adjacent to residential neighborhoods, each drawing sustained opposition from residents citing fire hazard, crime, noise, light pollution, and traffic. The approvals notably include a McDonald's drive-through positioned just 150 feet from the backyards of Glenmont Estates, breaking the city's historical distance standard for such uses. Staff recommended approval of all three on the finding that mitigation stipulations—ranging from hazardous-materials bans to speaker-noise walls to 50-percent lighting dimming overnight—would render each compatible with adjacent residential use, a conclusion that a dozen resident speakers disputed with references to fire investigations, crime statistics, and premium-lot devaluations.

Willis Road Mini Storage Facility

The centerpiece of the evening's development approvals was a 134,000-square-foot self-storage facility comprising 925 units (731 climate-controlled, 194 non-climate) on approximately 9.12 acres at the southwest corner of Willis Road and Mountain Vista Drive in the Estrella master-planned community. The property lies within the Pad Plan Area (Montecito Pad) and is zoned Business Park and Business Park One—zones that permit warehousing, manufacturing, equipment rental, and plant nurseries, but not mini storage without a use permit.

Guadalupe Cortes, City Planner, opened the presentation by noting the distance separations: 300 feet from the Segovia community to the northwest, and 200 feet from future Cantamia residential lots to the southeast, with Willis Road (a modified scenic arterial) providing additional buffer within that 200-foot setback. The applicant's site plan showed one large climate-controlled building (approximately 98,000 square feet) and two smaller roll-up structures in the rear, with landscaping along Willis Road frontage and perimeter, and a retention basin. Office hours were proposed at 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week; tenant access 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Michelle Bach, EAPC (applicant and owner representative), elaborated on setbacks and noise mitigation. She presented renderings of the facility's stone, stucco, and metal finishes and a cross-section diagram illustrating the distance from the screen wall of Segovia homes to the nearest storage building as approximately 800 feet—a "very conservative" figure she noted did not factor in the noise study's proposed screen walls and landscaping. She also presented an acoustic impact study commissioned by the applicant concluding that the facility would generate 44.9 decibels at the nearest southeast property line (Cantamia) and 40.8 decibels or less to the northwest (Segovia), well within what she characterized as city ordinance limits.

Key Speeches

"We are proposing roughly 26 units on the roof… through that impact he came up with that 44.9 less than 45 decibel levels of leaving our property which is well within the city ordinance." — Michelle Bach, EAPC applicant

Public Opposition

Eleven residents spoke against the project during the public-comment period, raising five principal concerns:

  1. Fire and hazardous-materials risk. Neil Wilson, citing a December storage-facility fire in Mesa currently under ATF investigation, warned that even with a stipulation prohibiting hazardous materials, tenants would inevitably store paint cans, acetylene tanks, diesel cans, and other flammable goods. He noted the fire station's proximity and the risk of smoke plumes affecting evacuations across Estrella.

  2. Criminal activity. David Shepard, a retired law-enforcement officer with 20 years' service, stated that he had served search warrants on storage units and witnessed their use for "commercial burglary, theft, vehicle prowling," and transport of stolen goods. He expressed skepticism that tenant-screening could prevent such misuse.

  3. View, noise, and light pollution. Jeff Redman, representing Segovia II residents (35 homes with premium view lots), emphasized that residents had paid approximately $1 million in cumulative premiums for views and dark-sky stargazing. He characterized the proposed buildings, walls, and light posts as imposing "view pollution," "noise pollution," and "light pollution," and urged the Commission to preserve the "dark environment" residents had chosen.

  4. Loss of alternative development. Shepard noted that approval of this parcel would leave two adjacent parcels (north and south) unaddressed, potentially forcing "skinny" configurations on future development and foreclosing better commercial uses—grocery stores, restaurants—that would benefit the whole community.

  5. Notification and transparency failures. Shelby Blackman, a Cantamia resident (cantamia is a 1,300-person subdivision directly south of the site, currently undeveloped), testified that the zoning sign for the hearing was placed near the fire station rather than on Mountain Vista Drive where residents visit Montecito and Cantamia. She noted that Montecito residents received a postcard about the zoning change, but Cantamia residents did not. She also noted that the May neighborhood meeting did not clearly communicate that this was a use-permit request (i.e., a zoning change), and that staff presence at the meeting was limited to note-taking only—a fact residents learned only by asking mid-meeting. She expressed disappointment in the city's transparency, having moved from Chandler based on Goodyear's reputation for open governance.

Guadalupe Cortes acknowledged that notices were sent to Property Owners within 500 feet and to HOAs (Cantamia and Segovia); however, Cantamia lots near Willis Road were undeveloped at the time notices were mailed, meaning property owners living there now—who will back onto the facility—received no direct notice. Blackman's testimony suggested residents learned of the hearing primarily by word of mouth.

Support and Staff Finding

Mike Durda spoke in support, noting that storage facilities attract customer visits only twice monthly on average, generating minimal traffic, and that the 44.9-decibel noise level was imperceptible compared to air-conditioning units (72 decibels) already operating throughout the area. He also noted that a three-lane road on each side of Willis would exceed ambient noise levels.

Staff recommended approval with more than ten stipulations, including: prohibition of hazardous materials, prohibition of business operations from units, dimming of lighting to 50 percent between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., prohibition of RV or outdoor storage, and compliance with the noise study's recommendations (though the study itself was not binding).

Commissioner discussion focused on the hazardous-materials stipulation. When asked what safeguards existed against prohibited hazardous storage, Michelle Bach replied that hazmat violation would result in immediate eviction under tenant leases, though no random inspections were proposed—only manager walkabouts and camera surveillance, with tenant permission required for unit inspection.

Commissioner Hedges inquired about permissible alternative uses: the planner confirmed that Business Park and Business Park One zoning allows warehousing, detention facilities, plant nurseries, parking lots, vocational schools, equipment rental, and RV storage, but not restaurants, convenience stores, food banks, or other commercial uses. A follow-up discussion noted that the height limit for the property is 40 feet (higher than the storage facility's 26-foot maximum), meaning an office or warehouse could be taller; this prompted discussion of whether such uses would generate more noise or traffic than storage. No consensus emerged on whether storage was the optimal use.

Vote and Outcome

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the Willis Road Mini Storage Use Permit, subject to the staff-recommended stipulations. The item will proceed to City Council on July 10.

McDonald's Drive-Through Restaurant

The second major item was a 4,500-square-foot McDonald's with drive-through at the southeast corner of Yuma Road and Sarahville Avenue in the Pueblo Verde neighborhood. The 1.28-acre property is part of a larger three-acre commercial center and is zoned Neighborhood Commercial (C1), a zoning designated to serve as a "transition buffer between uses of varying intensity" and provide "separation distance between arterial streets and residential districts."

Steve Caracillo, Planning Manager, presented the project. The drive-through component—not the restaurant itself—triggers the use permit requirement. The applicant proposed 45 parking spaces, double order lanes, a menu board wrapping the east side, three pickup windows, and exit circulation entirely within the commercial center. The site plan also included a 30-foot landscape buffer with retention to the south, a six-foot view wall, a six-foot sound wall, pedestrian access with trellis and post-rail fencing at the corner, and a brick patio for outdoor seating. A traffic study (approved by city engineering) concluded that circulation would be "entirely within the commercial center with no immediate impacts on the surrounding neighborhood" and that all intersections would continue to operate at adequate levels of service. The storage facility under construction to the east was cited as an additional buffer.

Paul Gilbert, counsel for the applicant, emphasized that the site has been zoned C1 since 2004—no surprise that a drive-through restaurant could locate there. He noted that the applicant was voluntarily complying with new drive-through standards adopted after the application was filed. He highlighted mitigation measures: automatic-volume-control speakers that adjust to ambient noise; discrete display screens (eliminating the need for the drive-through employee to verbally repeat orders); speaker location over 150 feet from neighbors to the south; a decorative block wall (recommended by staff) to further screen noise; and an odor-mitigation plan with exhaust scrubbing. He also noted that stipulations require the speaker noise to be inaudible within residential property—"a pretty strong commitment." Gilbert read a closing passage from the staff report: "Staff finds that the proposed use permit for a convenience use McDonald's drive-through subject to the conditions and stipulations set forth above meets the zoning ordinance requirements for convenience uses will not be material detrimental to adjacent properties and will be compatible with the surrounding area."

Darian Mellon, the McDonald's franchisee (and operator of eight locations in Goodyear with 600 employees city-wide), testified in support. He noted that his family had owned and operated McDonald's in Goodyear since 1980, that he grew up in the city and attended Agua Fria High School, and that he lives on the street adjacent to the proposed site. He stated that his family has raised over $200,000 for local schools in the past decade, sponsors the YMCA pools, and employs high school students. He committed to personal engagement with residents ("come find me at Lifetime Fitness at eight o'clock every morning") and to maintaining the facility to the highest standards.

"This is not just a restaurant to me this is important to me you know it's important that when they talk about trash that doesn't happen that my staff maintains that every day." — Darian Mellon, McDonald's franchisee

Opposition

Public comment was dominated by neighboring residents, particularly Ray and Corey Cohen, owners of lot five in Glenmont Estates (the closest property to the proposed drive-through). The Cohens stated they had worked closely with applicant representatives for "many years" prior to the storage-unit approval and appreciated their responsiveness. However, they raised several concerns:

  1. Traffic pattern change. They had understood the road behind their wall to be exit-only for the storage facility; the McDonald's proposal would convert it to two-way traffic, passing just 30 feet from their backyard, creating risk of vehicles breaching the block wall or occupants "getting crazy."

  2. Wall plan undisclosed. The applicant referenced a new sound wall during the hearing, but the Cohens had received no prior notice of this plan.

  3. Drive-through congestion and noise. The Cohens noted that McDonald's drive-throughs regularly experience 5–20 minute waits, with idling vehicles, honking, and shouting. They pointed to proximity to a high school (attracting teenagers) and existing increase in transient population.

  4. Property impact. They worried about trash, litter, and damage to their block wall, noting they had invested tens of thousands of dollars in their backyard as a gathering space.

Juanita Hessler, secretary of the Glenmont Estates HOA, stated the community is "very much against" the restaurant's proximity. While endorsing McDonald's as "a wonderful organization," she expressed concern that once the facility opens, residents have "very little recourse" if traffic accidents increase or other problems arise.

Alan Stark, a resident since 2009, delivered a detailed comparative analysis. He noted that the applicant is asking the Commission to recommend approval of "the highest traffic generating use allowed in a neighborhood commercial zoning district"—3,500 daily vehicle trips—placed 150 feet from backyards and master bedrooms, with the speaker box facing the homes and operations from 5 a.m. to midnight (leaving a five-hour impact-free window). Most significantly, Stark emphasized that this McDonald's at 150 feet would be "the closest drive through to existing single-family housing to ever be approved in all of Goodyear." He cited two comparisons:

Stark also noted that within a 1.5-mile radius of the proposed McDonald's, 25 existing, under-construction, or approved drive-through fast-food restaurants operate, compared to only four full-service sit-down restaurants. None of those 25 drive-throughs found it necessary to build within 150 feet of single-family homes. He concluded: "A drive-through bringing in 3500 cars a day is not limited… placed in such a high intensity use so close to single-family homes closer than has ever been approved before in the City of Goodyear does not meet the standards for Quality development that makes Goodyear such a great place to live and it will clearly be materially detrimental to my neighbors."

Commissioner Discussion centered on two precedents: the McDonald's on Indian School Road (Sorrow Hall)—recently approved—and the Whataburger on Indian School. One commissioner recalled that the Indian School McDonald's approval involved an odor-mitigation discussion, noting European odor-scrubbing equipment and questioning whether this facility would deploy the same technology. Another commissioner noted that the Indian School McDonald's is anchored by the UPS facility (which generates employee traffic) and a six-lane arterial, providing greater commercial context than this site, which has no major anchor and is smaller overall. A third commissioner expressed concern about transient population attraction to convenience establishments, echoing resident testimony, and noted that Goodyear's safety reputation was a principal selling point.

The Commission voted unanimously to approve, subject to stipulations.

Vote and Outcome

Unanimous approval of McDonald's Use Permit, subject to stipulations. The item will be heard at City Council on June 26, 2023.

QuikTrip Corporation Convenience Store & Fuel Station

The third item was a 5,312-square-foot convenience store with an 8,153-square-foot fuel canopy (20-vehicle capacity) at the northeast corner of Yuma Road and 173rd Avenue, proposed for 24-hour operation. The property is part of the Canyon Trails Phase Two Pad Plan (approved 1999) and is zoned General Commercial (C2) under the pad. It is situated approximately 100 feet south of Cottonflower neighborhood (separated by Yuma Road), 400 feet north of Crestwood at Canyon Trails neighborhood, and west of South Cotton Lane and the future Loop 303 expansion (construction anticipated fiscal 2025–2028).

Guadalupe Cortes presented the staff recommendation. The applicant completed a traffic study and is coordinating with ADOT regarding Loop 303 alignment. A neighborhood meeting on April 19 drew only one resident, who expressed concerns with noise, smells, crime, and frustration that the home seller had not disclosed the QuikTrip Corporation proposal. Staff also received one supportive email from a resident excited about QuikTrip Corporation's potential arrival.

Daniel Chambers, QuikTrip Corporation project manager, thanked staff and expressed enjoyment of his conversation with Ms. Blush (the single resident attendee) despite not reaching full agreement. He offered to address any specific questions.

Opposition

Lori Blush, the sole resident speaker, testified that her home is directly behind the proposed QuikTrip Corporation (built three years prior as her "forever home"). She cited national crime statistics: five percent of violent crime in the U.S. originates at convenience stores. She also noted that 173rd Avenue is entirely residential (25 mph speed limit) and runs from Yuma to Van Buren without commercial uses, and that her community was only 500 feet away, rendering notification unclear. She worried that a QuikTrip Corporation on the corner would turn 173rd into an "access road" for drive-in customers, creating safety hazards for children and dog-walkers. She asked: "Would you want one behind your home?"

Commission Discussion

No commissioner questions were recorded in the transcript. The Commission voted unanimously to approve, subject to stipulations.

Vote and Outcome

Unanimous approval of QuikTrip Corporation Use Permit, subject to stipulations. The specific Council hearing date was not stated in the transcript.

Key Speeches

"The special permit is needed for this because it's so close to our house and we just wanted to come tonight to share that we hope you vote against this project because we feel like it will be detrimental to our lifestyle in our home." — Ray and Corey Cohen, Glenmont Estates property owners

"My concern is I've lived there now for three years since my home was built and we have a lot of children we have a lot of people that like to walk their dogs play in the playground across from our community 173rd goes all the way from Yuma all the way to Van Buren and it's residential it's 25 miles an hour now if you put a quick trip right on that corner and you bring in all these people racing in and out of there our residential street is going to end up as an Access Road how safe is that going to be for our community." — Lori Blush, Cottonflower resident

"I submit is perfectly descriptive of what this use that we're proposing today encourages…the 1.2 acre parcel is sufficient size and configuration to accommodate the proposed restaurant and drive through and pursuant to the traffic study can be accommodated on-site importantly without adversely impacting any public Street or adjacent land uses." — Paul Gilbert, counsel for McDonald's (quoting staff)

Project Details

Willis Road Mini Storage

McDonald's

QuikTrip Corporation

Vote Breakdown

Willis Road Mini Storage

McDonald's Drive-Through

QuikTrip Corporation

Individual votes not stated in transcript. The transcript records motions and seconds but does not name voting commissioners by name on each item.

Outcome & Next Steps

All three use permits were approved unanimously and subject to multiple mitigating stipulations:

Willis Road Mini Storage:

McDonald's:

QuikTrip Corporation:

Controversies & Context

Mini Storage: Notification and Transparency Failures

The most significant controversy emerged from Shelby Blackman's testimony regarding inadequate notification of the Cantamia subdivision. Cantamia is a 1,300-resident community with future lots backing onto Willis Road, immediately south of the proposed facility. Key failures cited:

  1. Zoning-sign placement: Placed near the fire station (which has no residential proximity) rather than on Mountain Vista Drive where residents of Montecito and Cantamia regularly visit.

  2. HOA notification disparity: Montecito residents received a postcard about the zoning change; Cantamia did not, despite similar proximity.

  3. Undeveloped lots: Legal notices were sent to property owners within 500 feet of the site as required by code. However, Cantamia lots adjacent to Willis Road are currently undeveloped, so the future residents now moving into those lots received no notice. Guadalupe Cortes confirmed that HOAs did receive notice, but acknowledged the property-owner notification gap.

  4. Neighborhood meeting transparency: The May neighborhood meeting did not clearly communicate that this was a use-permit request (i.e., a zoning change). Residents learned this was a zoning change only partway through the meeting after asking. Staff presence at the meeting was limited to note-taking, a fact residents discovered only by questioning.

Blackman, who moved to Goodyear from Chandler (where she lived 40 years) because of the city's reputation for transparency, expressed deep disappointment. While staff acknowledged the issues, no remedial action was proposed, and the item proceeded to approval.

McDonald's: Precedent-Breaking Proximity

Alan Stark's testimony highlighted a significant break in Goodyear's development standards. The McDonald's at 150 feet from existing single-family homes is the closest drive-through ever approved in the city. Stark contrasted it with two precedents:

Stark also emphasized the context: within 1.5 miles, 25 drive-through fast-food restaurants exist, yet none found it necessary to build 150 feet from single-family homes. The zoning ordinance's intent for "Neighborhood Commercial" is "limited retailing serving nearby residential neighborhoods"—a 3,500-trip-per-day operation, Stark argued, is neither limited nor serving; it is "high intensity."

No commissioner directly engaged with Stark's argument, though one noted the contrast with the Indian School location and expressed discomfort with the precedent. The motion to approve passed unanimously despite the concerns raised.

Mini Storage: Fire and Hazmat Risk

Neil Wilson and David Shepard both raised the specter of hazardous-materials storage and fire risk. Wilson cited a December Mesa storage-facility fire under ATF investigation, presumably involving ammunition or a meth lab. Shepard, a retired law-enforcement officer, testified that storage units are routinely used for stolen goods, vehicles, and other contraband. Both questioned the adequacy of a stipulation banning hazmat when tenants inevitably store paint, diesel, acetylene, and other flammable items.

Michelle Bach's response—that violations would result in immediate eviction and that managers would conduct daily walkthroughs with security cameras—did not address the reality that inspecting locked units requires tenant consent, and that prevention of entry-level contamination is difficult. A commissioner asked whether random inspections were planned; Bach clarified they were not and would violate tenant privacy. Another commissioner (unidentified in transcript) suggested a measure conditioning the permit on adherence to federal noise guidelines and loss of the permit if thresholds were exceeded, though this was not formally adopted into the motion.

McDonald's and QuikTrip Corporation: Crime and Transient Concerns

Both the McDonald's (Cohens, commissioners) and QuikTrip Corporation (Lori Blush) hearings surfaced concern about transient and homeless populations. Blush cited national statistics: 5% of violent crime originates at convenience stores. Commissioner discussion echoed Goodyear's safety reputation as a principal selling point, suggesting that 24-hour convenience fueling and late-night fast-food operations could undermine that image. No substantive mitigation beyond camera surveillance and on-site management was proposed.

Duration

Other Notable Items

Approval of May 10 Meeting Minutes. The Commission approved minutes from the May 10 meeting; no discussion or abstentions recorded.

Staff Communications. Planning Manager Christopher Tormanen announced several ongoing initiatives: (1) A U-Haul storage facility approved by Council last month; (2) A Circle K convenience store on Indian School Road (adjacent Pebble Creek) with a neighborhood meeting scheduled for June 22 and tentative Council hearing June 26; (3) An open Commissioner seat with directed recruitment in Palm Valley and West Goodyear neighborhoods following a subcommittee determination that geographic representation was inadequate; (4) Ongoing design-guidelines work; (5) Several Council-directed zoning ordinance amendments cascading through fall 2023–early 2024, including use-permit revisions, church-use definitions, business-park district creation, and noise standards adjacent to freeways; and (6) Post-general-plan completion, a comprehensive zoning-ordinance rewrite (the current ordinance has not been comprehensively revised since 1999–2000).

Alyssa, a staff member, mentioned Council direction to create rural development standards for the Mobil community in southern Goodyear near Maricopa, including allowance for a skydiving operation at the airport.